The present invention is directed to a tool for removing or manipulating a part associated with a circuit board, and more particularly to a tool for removing or manipulating a stand-off from a motherboard.
It is common in the computer industry to mount a circuit board to a computer casing by using a component known as the "plastic feet" or "stand-off". The circuit boards typically have drilled holes at desired locations in which a stand-off is inserted into. The stand-off includes two barbs which hold the circuit board securely in place, and the bottom of the stand-off is inserted into corresponding slots in the computer casing. Conventionally, a pair of needle-nose pliers is used to remove the feet or stand-off from the circuit board by depressing the barbs and pushing the foot back through the circuit board. This technique often leads to damaging the foot or stand-off and other components that may be present in the vicinity thereof. The use of pliers is further not very practical in the present day computers in which manipulation of various components is difficult due to the limited space and crowding of the components. Various tools for inserting, removing, or manipulating components have been proposed in the art as shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,210,832; 4,052,788; 4,663,838; 4,882,838; 4,884,336; 5,058,264; 5,311,657; and 5,636,436.
The prior art tools are complex in design, difficult to use and expensive to manufacture. Therefore, there is a need in the industry for a tool for removing or manipulating a part associated with a circuit board, which is simple in design and inexpensive to manufacture.